Il Neige: The first snow
by toyirkfm
Summary: It is an episode between Sasuke and Naruto. The background is during winter time in a leaf village, when both of them were 12 years old. Well, please enjoy.


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Well, I somehow miss when Naruto and Sasuke were 12 years old. This novel's background is also around that time.

Maybe noticed little indication of yaoi, but that is it. Please ignore grammar errors, as English is not my first language.

Well, enjoy. By the way, 'il neige' means 'it's snowing' in French.

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I don't like the snow.

Well, I actually liked it when I was very young.

I was even excited when snow was falling down on the ground, leaving white trace behind it.

I liked it, as the snow trace was the sign of indication.

It was the sign of indication that I could make a snowman with my brother.

When my mother saw me making a snowman, she always brought an old muffler and an old hat for the snowman.

However, the snow is not an exciting stuff to me anymore.

After my parents' death, I began to hate snow because it reminded me of the moments.

…The moments that I've been played with my brother, the moments that had been joyful moments now became the most painful memories in my heart.

Since then, I feel unknown agony and pain whenever I see the snow….

That is why…I hate snow…

Il neige~The first snow~

"Hoo…"

The air surrounding me was cold, but was fresh and clear in exchange for its coldness.

So it felt pretty good, but the sky was half covered up with dark clouds.

Therefore, I had to quicken my pace to go back home, as the snow would fall down pretty soon.

Although Kakashi sensei is an irresponsible adult who read adult books during our training, he still concerned our health. He worried that we may catch up the cold if we keep training under this cold weather. So today, the training was ended a lot faster than usual.

…Actually, I would be able to go back home already if my eyes did not catch the person who was very noticeable…

Not only because of the blonde hair and blue eyes with passion, which are rare in our leaf village, the marks on his cheeks indicated me the identity of the person. So I unconsciously murmured his name.

"Uzumaki Naruto…"

He is the only person who understands me.

He is the only person who will be able to understand my solitude.

Also, he has been and will be handling me for not becoming an avenger who is thirst of revenge.

Thanks to his help, I was able to stay in my village.

Beside the things that I've been listed above already, there are a lot of words to describe who he is and what he has done for me. However, there is only one sentence that is enough to describe who he is to me: he is the person who I like for the most.

Yes, I like him. It does not matter whether he likes me or not because I will like him anyway.

My feeling toward him is unconditional. So even if he likes other person-I am pretty sure it is Sakura-, I will support him.

Bearing this thinking in my mind, I slowly walked to Naruto. However, he did not notice even when I was making a walking sound. So I was considering of calling him to attract his attention. But when I stood right next to him, he noticed a person's existence-which is me- right away.

At first, he gazed at me in surprise. Then, after noticing my presence, Naruto kept silent and scratched his back head due to embarrassment. But after 3 seconds, he spoke bluntly.

"Gosh, Sasuke! You scared me! You should make a sound at least!"

…I am not so sure what caused him to think in that way since it was him who was not paying attention at all. So his word was totally irrational to me. Anyway, after that, he closed his mouth and did not pay any single attention to me.

Actually, Naruto's such action gave me a fresh shock, as it was my first time to see Naruto being absent-minded.

Naruto I've known was always bright, energetic, and…

Reckless person who is dynamic, but not a quiet person.

But now…

He was sitting down and waiting something very quietly, without making any sound.

So it was hard to find his usual features from him.

Besides staying calmly, his calm blue eyes were staring at something. His staring was very strong that even I would be dragged if I keep watching his eyes. So when I turned my eyes down, I found Naruto's body shivering due to coldness.

…What is he doing, really…

I was curious what he has been waiting for, even with enduring cold weather.

But instead of trying to solve this inquiry, what I did was…

"What, What the…?!"

Naruto was stoned right away when he felt my arm was surrounding his shoulder. But after a few seconds, he showed an angry face. My, my. Unlike me, he surely has various expressions in his face.

"You catch a cold if you are wearing lightly under this weather."

He was wearing the t-shirt on top. Of coarsely, the t-shirt he is wearing would not be helpful to insulate his body. So I just wrapped his body around the cape I've been wearing.

"I, I don't need this! I am not a woman. Besides, I am Uzumaki Naruto who will become a future Hokage. So the person like me doesn't consider this as cold."

Well, in contrast to what he have been said, he was grabbing my cape harder and harder.

So after seeing Naruto making such a bluff, I unconsciously began to laugh.

What a…strange. He was very quiet only a few minutes ago, but now he returned to his normal features, which were dynamic and vivid. And watching his this change was…just hilarious.

After stopping to laugh and raising my head up, I found Naruto staring at me.

His glance toward me was similar to a young child staring at monkey in the zoo.

"What are you doing…"

And because of his glance, I was little bit displeased. So when I was bluntly asking, Naruto was embarrassed and was explaining to me the reason why he stared at me.

"W, Well…I will apologize if my staring made you feel unpleasant. Well…I stared at you because it was the first time that you've been laughing delightfully."

Ah…

After what Naruto told me, I noticed myself not laughing at all since my parents' death.

Actually, I began to laugh after I met Naruto…

"…Is it strange?"

Maybe my laughing would be strange since I've been stopped laughing for a long time. So when I asked Naruto, he shook his head and explained to me.

"N, No! Never! I mean…Usual Sasuke seems a bit cold like an ice, but you seemed warm when you laughed at me."

After finishing sentence, he was once again grabbing the cape.

Although he shivered again, I could notice that it was due to loneliness, not coldness in this time.

…Although he always act like a strong person, he actually feels loneliness very easily…

Maybe that is why he actually went outside today, as it was at least better than staying at home alone.

I actually could understand him, as I went through same thing.

Even I who consider myself as having stronger mind and more mature than him often have several nights with nightmares due to loneliness. And if that happens, I wake up for whole night and can't sleep.

The sleepless nights occur more frequently the day like this…the day that snow is expected…  
But unlike Iruka or Kakashi sensei who is good at consoling others, I am not good at it. So I don't know how I should act.

That could be the reason why I acted on impulse.

"Ah…"

In this time, Naruto was not yelling at me even when I surrounded my arms around him. He accepted my arms and stayed. His body was cold. No wonder why he was shivering. In contrast, my body was warmer than him, as I was still wearing the coat even after giving him my cape.

"…Unlike your appearance…"

When Naruto was leaning his face on my arms, my heart was pounding.

Although I usually don't like a body contact with other people, that does not apply to him.

Maybe it is because…I like him…

Still leaning his face on my arms, Naruto murmured.

"…You are warm. I thought you are cold as an ice…"

Warmth…

That was the feeling that I thought to be lost since the incidence.

And I thought I would never feel it again in my life.

But…after meeting the person who is shiny like gold…

The coldness around me is disappearing and instead, the warmth is surrounding me.

Although the scar of my mind has not been cured completely…

I believe that it will be cured in someday, as long as I am with him.

"Ah! Look!"

Naruto suddenly moved his body. After moving out, only emptiness is left on my arms.

So while I was feeling little solitude, he shouted.

"Snow! Sasuke, there is going to be snow!"

Making his voice as a starter, the snow began to fall down from the sky.

White and cold snow was falling…and was yucky.

…How can he like snow…

None of objects are as cold as snow…

It is cold…

Whenever I feel its presence, I feel the unknown agony and pain…

"…I am always waiting for the first snow."

When I turned my face toward him, he was playing with a flake of the snow. By moving his hand, he tried a flake of the snow not to fall down on the ground. Actually, his hand movement was really dedicated so that it never touched the snow, but made a wind to make a flake of the snow to float.

Avoiding contacting with any other flake of the snow except only one flake of the snow around his hand, he was playing with it. From his movement, I found out somewhat dedicated part of Naruto which was hard to discover in usual time.

Without noticing my eyes' movement, which was in accordance with his hand's movement, Naruto kept talking.

"I know it sounds pretty funny to you, Sasuke. But someone told me that your wish actually comes true when you succeed not to drop the flake of the first snow until snowing stops. Surprisingly, the first snow of the year was falling in the day when I heard the stuff. So I tried, but failed since the snow melted on my hand. Yet, I never give up and try every year. Since the chance is only once a year, I always expects the first snow of the year."

Even while he was talking, his hand kept moving busily. Sometimes, his hand movement seemed like threatening toward a flake of the snow not to fall down. At the same time, his hand movement seemed like cheering a flake of the snow not to fall down. In either case, I could see his strong will power not to drop the flake of the snow.

To give my eyes a break from staring his hand movement, I looked up the sky. Still, the sky is covered up with dark clouds. Maybe the snow will continue to fall down for awhile.

"Actually, in the next year, I learned how to make a flake of snow not to fall down. However, snow kept falling a lot longer than my expectation. So I lost a flake of the snow due to tiredness. Well, I am not so sure about this year though.."

Unfortunately, the snow did not seem to stop. Instead, snows were falling down more heavily and fast.

Because of that, Naruto had to make his hand movement a lot faster not to fall down a flake of the snow, which made him to become more tired. His breath was getting heavier.

…So since Naruto would fail again in this year without my help, I pushed him slowly and began to move my hand to rise up the flake of the snow.

"…Ah…"

He was standing there. Maybe he never expected me helping him. So I talked back to him.

"Why, there is no such rule that you cannot get a help from others, isn't it?"

After saying that, I concentrated on a flake of the snow. Since I've been not used to it, I almost touched or made a flake of the snow to fall down on the ground. Therefore, Naruto screamed a lot of times in the beginning. However, as time passed by, I got used to it. So there was no screaming from Naruto.

It was hard at the beginning, but as time passed, it became to move up as my own hand or foot. As long as my hand moved, the flake of the snow also moved…

'Hmm…This can be a good training…'

As soon as you lose your concentration, the snow falls down on the ground. Also, as soon as your hand is tilted even a little bit, the snow flies away.

While I kept moving my hand cautiously not to make a flake of snow to fly on the ground, Naruto already stood up right next to me. As soon as my hand's movement became slower, he pushed my body slightly and began to rise up the flake of the snow.

Exchanging turns continuously, we kept rising up the flake of the snow for awhile…

"…Gosh, I thought I made it in this time."

During Naruto's turn, he was slipped over. As a result, his hand touched the vulnerable flake of the snow. So it melted and ended. Just a few minutes after the incidence, the sky became clear, which made Naruto more disappointed.

"Well, there was nothing we could do. I mean, you slipped over."

"I know, but…"

Actually, without finishing his sentence, Naruto was making a face which reminded me of a child who lost his candy. So I laughed slightly, as his face was too cute to hold myself not to laugh.

"…Why are you laughing?'"

After saying that, he was punching toward my stomach. Although he punched at me, he actually did not put much strength on his fist. So it was easy to be blocked. After blocking his fist, I opened up my mouth.

"Do you mind if…I help you in the next year as well?"

At first, Naruto was staring at me as he did not get the meaning of my sentence. But later, after realizing the actual meaning, he smiled brightly.

Then, after surrounding his arm around my neck, he shouted with joy.

"Thank you, Sasuke!"

My, my…

There is no way for me not to help him if he is making such a happy face.

..But it does not seem bad to stay with him like this.

Maybe…like Naruto…

I am also going to wait the first snow in next year.

End


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